ANS-C01 Network Implementation Practice Question
A developer wants to allow an EC2 instance in a VPC to access an Amazon S3 bucket without traversing the public internet. Which AWS service should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse interface VPC endpoints (PrivateLink) with gateway endpoints, assuming all AWS services require interface endpoints, but S3 and DynamoDB use gateway endpoints which are simpler and do not incur hourly costs.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
VPC Gateway Endpoint for S3.
A VPC Gateway Endpoint for S3 allows EC2 instances to access S3 buckets privately using AWS’s internal network, without traversing the public internet. Gateway endpoints are specifically designed for services like S3 and DynamoDB, using route table entries to direct traffic to the service via the AWS backbone, with no data transfer costs for traffic within the same region.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS PrivateLink with an interface VPC endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
S3 uses gateway endpoints, not interface endpoints, though PrivateLink can be used for other services.
- ✓
VPC Gateway Endpoint for S3.
Why this is correct
Gateway endpoints provide private access to S3 and DynamoDB.
- ✗
NAT gateway in the public subnet.
Why it's wrong here
NAT gateway routes traffic through the internet, but the traffic to S3 would still go over the internet.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect with a public VIF.
Why it's wrong here
Public VIF still routes traffic through the internet, not private.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on ANS-C01
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Variation 1. A network engineer needs to allow an EC2 instance in a private subnet to access an S3 bucket without traversing the internet. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- A.VPC Peering
- ✓ B.VPC Gateway Endpoint
- C.Internet Gateway
- D.NAT Gateway
Why B: A VPC Gateway Endpoint allows private subnet resources to access S3 without traversing the internet by routing traffic through AWS's internal network. It uses prefix lists and route table entries to direct S3-bound traffic to a highly available, horizontally scaled gateway endpoint, avoiding NAT or internet gateway costs and latency.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ANS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the ANS-C01 exam.